Shillong, May 25: Tourism has cushioned the blow suffered by a couple of villages in Sohra when the Supreme Court imposed a blanket ban on coal mining in Meghalaya in 2014.
“After the coal ban, you cannot deny the fact that the tourism sector has really helped to uplift the economic livelihood of the people in the area,” Sohra legislator Gavin Mylliem told reporters on Monday.
He said the coal ban had severely disrupted livelihoods in Sohra, with coal-dependent villages such as Laitryngew and Mawkma losing their main source of income.
However, he said, tourism has since emerged as the primary driver of economic recovery in the region.
The ruling National People’s Party (NPP) legislator said the ban forced communities to look for alternatives, with tourism gradually cushioning the blow.
Noting that Sohra’s appeal has grown beyond domestic visitors, Mylliem said, “Sohra has been able to captivate tourists not only from our country but even tourists from all parts of the world.”
He credited community participation in government-backed projects for the turnaround. “All the communities have also extended their hands to the government. Especially with these projects under PM-Divine, World Bank, ADB scheme, we could see the certain proportion that needs to be shared with the government and the communities have also accepted the offer from the government,” Mylliem stated.
“Due to this fact, we do understand that people from the area and the communities have realised that this particular sector has really contributed towards the economy of the area,” he added.
Despite the tourism uptick, Mylliem admitted the government has limited scope to keep private stays affordable as demand rises.
“That is a very difficult question because of course regulating the price when it comes to the private accommodations. It is very difficult on the part of the government to regulate,” he said when asked about tariff regulation.
He said high-end options in Sohra remain a few. “Presently, I think only the Jiva, Polo Orchid are offering just high-end accommodation. Let’s see what the government has in the days to come to ensure that affordable accommodation can be provided to the people,” Mylliem added.
